38 sex crime charges filed against 25-year-old man

Compulsive sexual offenses can keep an individual incarcerated for lengthy periods depending on the frequency, severity and circumstances of the situation. The first thing that criminal defense counsel must do is determine whether the sex crime charges are correct and supported by substantial evidence. In Louisiana as in any other state this requires an intensive review of the facts with the accused. If a viable defense exists, then counsel will prepare for a trial or in some instances, file the appropriate motion to dismiss based on a legal infirmity that prohibits the prosecution.

If the evidence is overwhelming or the accused admits the offenses, the advisable course is to engage in negotiations with the prosecution as early in the process as possible. In Louisiana, a 25-year-old man was recently arrested by the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and charged with 38 sex crime charges. These include 19 counts of aggravated incest, 10 counts of aggravated rape, eight counts of sexual battery and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Press reports do not reveal the precise details of the allegations. It’s reported that the Sheriff’s office received a complaint on Aug. 18 about alleged sexual crimes in the Boyce area. Sheriff’s deputies and officers of the Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services investigated and made the arrest. The accused is from Springdale, Arkansas and is being held at the Rapides Parish Detention Center on bond set at $1.5 million. The presence of incest in the charges indicates some sort of relationship between the man and the victim or victims.

If the sex crime charges are provable and supported by substantial evidence, criminal defense counsel will pursue appropriate plea negotiations. In an ideal world, appropriate cases without violence would be treated as medical problems and intensive medical treatment, including a psychiatric regimen, would be applied. However, recidivism in such cases is high, partly due to the paucity of reliable and predictive medical treatment or medication. In Louisiana and elsewhere, compulsive sexual offenses, even where there is no violence, generally result in imprisonment for lengthy periods. It is followed by registration of the individual as a sex offender when released back into the community.